Nested-can body and method therefor



w. M. TOMKINS June 17, 1930.

Patented June 17, "19 30 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE WALTER u. TOMKINS,or sAN :enANcIsco, GALIFOBNIA, Assrenon. 'ro CONTINENTAL cAN COMPANY,me, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A conronA'rroN or NEW ronx NESTED-CAN BODY ANDMETHOD THEREFOR Application filed October 20, 1928. Serial No. 313,850.

This invention relates to can body packs, and more particularly to thedeforming and nesting can bodies of the ordinary, cylindrical type sothat a plurality of bodies, originally of the same size and capable ofbeing reformed, may be nested one within the other for the purpose ofdecreasing the space otherwise required for shipment or storage.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a way of overcoming thegreat expense are governed by space required as well as by weight, thisitem is important.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a pack of nested canbodies wherein allof the bodies, except that which encloses the pack,may be fitted one within" theother and all contained entirely within theouter body so that the entire pack requires no more space for storagethan is taken up by the enclosing body. 'Heretofore, can bodies havebeen nested together by similarly bending the bodies so as to taper themin such manner that they may be fitted telescopically one withinanother, and while this method is satisfactory to a certain degree,there, are some undesirable features which are elimihated by the presentinvention; one of the undesirable features being that the tapered bodiesbecome so tightly wedged together,

- due to jar and vibration during shipment,

that it is quite diflicult to separate them, necessitating that eachbody be handled separately in removing it from the pack. Another featurethat is not entirely satisfactory is that since the tapered bodies donot entirely telescope together, the pack requires more space than dopacks assembled according to the present method. Another undesirablefeature is that packs wherein the can bodies are tapered andtelescopically fitted together separation of the bodies by passing thepack along a horn as is contemplated in the present invention is notpossible.

In view of the above, it has been the object are so deformed thatthey ofthis invention to provide a can body pack that takes up less space, thanpacks as heretofore made,and wherein the several bodies are so deformedand-assembled together that an easier and quicker separation ispossible.

More specifically, the present invention resides in the formation of acan pack from bodies of the same size, by fluting lengthwise the bodiesthat are to be enclosed 1I1'S11Cll manner as to sufiiciently decreaseeach'one diametrically that they may be fitted one within another andall contained wholly within the outer body.

It is also an object of the invention to so locate theflutes in theseveral bodies that they will fit together in the pack and to provideeach successive can, from the outside of the pack inwardly, with anadditional flute which, by its formation, decreases the diameter of thatbody sufficiently to permit its disposition within the pack and whichserves also as a means whereby the body may be dislodged from the packwhen the latter is separated.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, 1 haveprovided. the improved details of construction, the preferred forms ofwhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein F1gure 1 isa perspective view showing a plurality of can bodies, originally ofthesame size and shape, which have been fluted according to the presentinvention and are ready to be assembled together innested relation.

Figure 2 is a perspective view, showing the relation of the bodies andthe fluted portions thereof during assembly of the pack.

, Figure 3 is a cross section of the bodies as nested in the pack.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the assembled pack.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- The can bodies to be nestedtogether, each designated by reference "numeral 1, are made from tinblanks bent into cylindrical form with their ends joined permanentlytogether ,in a seam 2 that extends lengthwise of the body. The can bodywhich is to enclose the pack ofnested' bodies is left in its originalform, but the remaining bodies, which origclosing can, arelongitudinally fluted by forming inwardly pressed grooves 3 thereinWhereby the bodies are reduced diametrically so that they may be fittedone within another and all the fluted bodies contained entirely withinthe enclosing or outer body.

The preferred manner of fluting the bodies is best shown in Figure 3,which shows them, beginning with the body next within the one whichencloses the pack, each to be formed with one more flute than isprovided in the body within which it is fitted, that is, the second bodyhas one flute, the third has two flutes, the fourth has three flutes,and so on to the innermost body; the extra, or added, flutes serving toprogressively decrease the diameters of the bodies so that they may beeasily nested within the body enclosing the pack. The fluted portions ofthe bodies,

preferably, are located .opposite the seams and when. the several bodiesare nested together, the fluted portions are so fitted together that theflutes added successively to the bodies of the pack from the outsideinwardly follow each other in a circumferem tial direction, therebyaflording an arrangement suitable for separation of the pack by passingit over a special type of horn for this purpose on or adjacent whichpins are disposed to engage with the ends of the successive flutes asthe pack is advanced along the horn.

It is readily apparent that by so fluting the successive bodies of thepack, their diameters may be so decreased that they may be nested onewithin another and all contained entirely within the outer or enclosingbody. It is also apparent that various mechanical devices may be usedfor fluting and assembling the cans in the pack, and that various meansmay be devised whereby the pack may be easily and quickly separated.

While I have shown the present pack to consist of five nested bodies, itis not intended that it be limited to this number; it being readilyapparent that it may comprise various numbers depending upon the extentto which the bodies may be reduced in diameter by the fluting processwithout damage thereto and also on the original size of the bodies.

By so fluting the bodies. they maybe located entirely within theinclosing body to provide a pack that is no larger than the enclosingbody itself, thereby gaining an advantage over the type ofpack'wherein'the bodies are only partly telescoped together.Furthermore, this arrangement avoids any difliculty of separating thepack. due to a wedging action, as is encountered with the taperedbodies, for the reason that the bodies when deformed are the samediameter throughout their lengths and the flutes and seams in the bodieshold them slightly apart in the pack.

It is intended that when packs of can bodies of this type reach theirpoint of use, they may be separated and the bodies then reformed intotheir original cylindrical shape by passing them through any suitablemachine pro vided for this purpose and then the can ends applied theretoin the same manner as is- .usually done.

Having thus .described my invention, what I claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

prising a plurality of can bodies, originally of the same size andshape, one of said bodies being in its original form and enclosing theothers which are so deformed as to be progressively-decreaseddiametrically and fitted one within another and all wholly containedwithin the enclosing body.

4:. A. pack of the character described, comprising a plurality of canbodies, originally of the same size and shape, fitted one within anotherand contained entirely within the outer body; said outer body being inits original form and said enclosed bodies being deformedbylongitudinally extending flutes adapted, after separation of the pack,to be ifeformed to restore the bodies to their original orm.

5. A pack of the character described, comprising a plurality ofcylindrical bodies, originally of the same size and shape, fitted onewithin another and contained wholly within the outer body; said outerbody being in its each other from either end of the pack and adapted tobe reformed to original shape.

6. Apack as in claim 5, wherein the fluted portions of the severalbodies are nested together, with the additional-flutes of the severalbodies from the outer side of the pack successively following eachother.

7. The method of nesting can bodies, which consists of .deforming thebodies to decrease them diametrically and fitting them one withinanother and entirely within the enclosing body. 1

8. The method of nesting a plurality of can bodies, which consists ofdeforming the bodies b 'lon 'tudinal fiut' whereb' the are diam etricglldecrcasdi and thin li ating them coaxia y one within another.

9. A method of nestin cylindrical can bodies which consists of de'orming bodies of the same size and shape by pressing longitudinallyextending flutes therein in progressive numbers to thereby pro ressivelydiminish the bodies diametrically, t en fitting the bodies one withinanother so that they are contained entirely within the outer body.

10. A method of nesting cylindrical can bodies, which consists ofeforming bodies of the same size and shape by pressing longitudinallyextending flutes therein in progressive numbers to thereby progressivelydiminish the cans diametrically but leaving each deformed body ofuniform diameter throughout its length, then fittin the bodies onewithin another with the uted portions in nested relation.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 14th day'of September, 1928.

WALTER M. TOMHNS.

